Chapter 22 What Kind of Person

Kingsley had no reason to refuse Severus.

Brewing the antidote was always a gamble, it didn't necessarily require exceptional potion-making skills. Anyone could take a shot, so it didn't matter who did it.

His intention was more about diverting Severus's attention.

And if the man was willing to stay and investigate the case more deeply under the Aurors' watchful eyes, that would be even better.

As for Severus's self-proclaimed title of 'Defense Against the Dark Arts master'...

While few in the wizarding world had witnessed him demonstrate particularly advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts Magic, his expertise in the Dark Arts was undoubtedly on par with his potion-making skills, which is top-tier!

Dark Arts and Defense Against the Dark Arts, when you thought about it, the difference was just adding a few more words.

Kingsley could grudgingly accept that!

Thus, after assessing the current situation, Kingsley left with the others, leaving only the Ministry's employee originally assigned to liaise between the two parties to arrange temporary accommodations for Severus and Harry in the manor.

As the Ministry's employee sought out the manor's butler to prepare rooms for the two guests, Severus quietly assigned Harry a task.

He led Harry to the end of the second-floor corridor, where they stood before a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the lawn outside. There, a group of children were playing with a ball.

The youngest looked about six or seven, while the oldest were no more than ten… They were basically Harry's age.

"You, go infiltrate their group, Harry."

Harry looked at Severus somewhat blankly, then turned to look at the four or five children who were laughing and talking happily below.

"Me? Infiltrate them?"

"Yes. Go befriend them, then subtly gather information about Patty from them."

Severus instructed his student earnestly.

"Children are easy to win over. As long as you have a good relationship with them, they'll speak honestly. Remember, don't approach them with an obvious agenda… They can sense your ulterior motives. Just play with them first, and once you've grown closer, you can start asking questions."

Harry was a little hesitant at first, but after listening to Severus's words, his sharp mind seemed to catch onto something, and he muttered under his breath, "I'm a kid too, Professor. Is this how you've been handling me all along?"

Severus clicked his tongue, lamenting that having a clever student wasn't always a good thing. He flicked Harry's forehead lightly.

"Master the technique first, then critique me."

Rubbing his forehead, Harry grumbled something unintelligible but obediently headed downstairs to join the manor's children as instructed.

Severus watched from the window for a while. He observed Harry lingering on the sidelines until the ball rolled to his feet, prompting one of the older kids to invite him in. Only then did Harry join the game, discreetly flashing an 'OK' sign in Severus's direction. Satisfied, Severus turned away with a faint smile.

[Did you deliberately sendPotter to play with kids his own age?] Ghost Snape suddenly asked.

Severus neither confirmed nor denied it, he just said calmly, "He's had too little interaction with normal peers. Sometimes, being mature before one's time is not a good thing. At his age, he should be playing."

[Hmph.] Ghost Snape snorted coldly as usual.

But for once, he didn't follow up with any sarcastic remarks. Instead, he fell into an uncharacteristic silence.

Just as Severus assumed he'd only appeared to assert his presence, Ghost Snape spoke again, this time slowly and deliberately.

[You've taken my place, but some of your thought processes, especially regarding potions, haven't fully aligned with mine.]

Severus's interest was piqued. He felt that there was more to Ghost Snape's words than mere taunting.

"What are you getting at?"

[Slughorn may have taught me, but he was only a few steps ahead at that time. In truth, I surpassed him long ago in the field of potions.]

Ghost Snape said lightly.

[That enhanced Draught of Living Death… you don't necessarily need to identify the original ingredients to brew an antidote. That's just the dumbest approach.]

This time, Severus finally perked up.

"You have another method!"

[Wiggenweld Potion.]

"A potion to counteract magical sleep? That definitely won't work. The Aurors couldn't have missed trying that. Even if the potioneer employed by the Ministry is poorly skilled, they shouldn't be so incompetent as to overlook such a basic solution."

[Of course, it's not just about using the Wiggenweld Potion. Slughorn already told you… the reason that Draught of Living Death is so potent is because he added an excessive dose of sopophorous beans. The other additional ingredients were merely to regulate the body's tolerance to the beans.]

[His mind isn't sharp enough, and he could only think of reverse-engineering the antidote from the original formula. You're just as mediocre as he is!]

Ghost Snape never missed an opportunity to sneer, but Severus paid no mind.

The hint had been dropped. If he still couldn't piece it together, he might as well stop calling himself a Potions Master altogether!

'Sopophorous beans are the primary ingredient in the Draught of Living Death! Slughorn amplified its dosage to achieve this effect. And the main component of the Wiggenweld Potion is Horklump Juice! By increasing its dosage to match the proportion of sopophorous beans in that potion, it becomes the perfect antidote!'

'As for how to adjust the dosage of Horklump Juice... You've previously studied the improved Wideye Potion. Its brewing principle is similar to the Wiggenweld Potion… just add dried Billywig stings, lovage, and ginger root.'

Severus paused mid-step, 'Just as Snape had said, my thought process in potion-making was indeed lacking.'

'I didn't possess the same masterful intuition as Ghost Snape, so when I first thought that the Wiggenweld Potion didn't work, I hadn't bothered to delve deeper.'

But just because he hadn't thought of it didn't mean Ghost Snape was idle. He must have already devised this method when they left Slughorn's house.

Of course, brewing this modified Wiggenweld Potion would still take time. But compared to Slughorn's two-week minimum for reverse-engineering an antidote, this method would take at most a week… perhaps even just five days if all went smoothly!

This would drastically shorten the time before the poor girl Patty could wake up.

After clarifying the potion-related matters, Severus didn't act immediately. Instead, he suddenly chuckled.

[Have you figured it out?]

Ghost Snape still has his usual expression, as if the whole world owed him a lifetime of debt.

[I just don't want you tarnishing my reputation for nothing. It will be better for everyone if we resolve this matter as soon as possible.]

Severus crossed his arms and leaned against the wall in a quiet, deserted corner.

"Then let me be frank with you too. This case is far from simple… It won't be resolved just by waking that girl."

Ghost Snape frowned.

[Why?]

"Why are we even involved in this case?"

[You're covering for Slughorn to avoid blame for the missing regulated potion.]

"Then why should I take the blame for him?"

[You want him to temporarily take your place at Hogwarts.] Ghost Snape replied impatiently.

"Then who sent me to find him in the first place?"

Hearing the last question, Ghost Snape seemed to realize something and fell silent.

Severus answered it himself.

"It was Dumbledore who directed me here. Do you really think he's unaware of this case?"

"He must know something we don't. The wound on that girl's neck left by a Dark magical creature can't be faked. There are still problems with this matter."

After being silent for a while, Ghost Snape finally spoke again.

[So, you're planning to keep investigating?]

Severus stepped forward. His strides were steady and confident as he walked across the plush carpet. In his mind, he declared to Ghost Snape.

"Dumbledore wants to understand what kind of person I am through my actions and decisions. Why should I hide anything?"

"I'll do what I believe in openly and let him see clearly exactly what kind of man I am."